Heretofore, certain lighting devices for vehicles have the light source thereof concealed from view in order to improve the external visually perceived appearance (aesthetic appearance) of the lighting devices. Particularly in recent years, many lighting devices have incorporated a clear lens in view of the established technology for achieving light distribution with a shaped reflector rather than a cut lens. Since such a clear lens, which is included in the lighting device, tends to make the light source easily seen, there are demands for a structure that conceals the light source.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-051404 discloses a position lamp including a position bulb disposed in a base member and a lens disposed in front of the position bulb. The lens has an upper portion (overlapped portion) covered with a main pipe side cover (cover member). When the position lamp is viewed from the front, the cover member conceals the position bulb for improving the appearance of the position lamp. Light that is emitted from the position bulb is partially blocked by the cover member, which covers the overlapped portion of the lens. However, light is radiated outwardly through the visible portion of the lens, which is exposed below the cover member.